2011 Archiveshttp://marlinsbigcatch.com/table/2011-articles/february/
Sat, 10 Dec 2016 03:02:37 +0000Joomla! 1.5 - Open Source Content Managementen-gbMarlins Spring Training Position Battleshttp://marlinsbigcatch.com/2011-articles/february/position-battles.html
http://marlinsbigcatch.com/2011-articles/february/position-battles.html For the Florida Marlins despite the turnover from the start of the 2010 season to now, their lineup for the 2011 season is pretty much set and their will not be many position battles this spring. However, there are still a few positions up for grabs.

3rd BASEMAN

The most obvious hole that the Marlins need to fill is the one at third base. With Cantu gone and the Marlins deciding to go with Coghlan in center and Infate at 2nd, this leave 3rd base open for prospect Matt Dominguez to fill. Essentially the job will be his to take if he is ready coming out of Spring Trainning, even if he is not ready then he will still be brought up this summer at some point to be the 3rd baseman. No one has any real doubts the Dominguez will be able to do fine in the field, but the question with him is can he hit? Dominguez has not had an easy time at the plate in the minor leagues, and he lacks the real power one hopes to get from a corner infielder. If he can just show some signs of an ability to be productive from the plate this spring training than the job will be his, otherwise it is up to Wes Helms and/or Greg Dobbs. Most likely if Dominguez begins the year in the minors than the Marlins will platoon third base with Helms and Dobbs giving the starts based on match ups and who is hot.

FOURTH OUTFIELDER

Most of the Marlins competition is going to be roster positions 19-40. But the last major battle on the 25-man roster could be for the 4th outfielder spot. This is going to be a three-player battle between Bryan Petersen, Scott Cousins, and Dewayne Wise. Petersen is most likely the favorite to win the position as he has played that role for the Marlins before, but that does not mean much. Scott Cousins is a good minor league prospect that the Marlins hope will be come an everyday outfielder in the next year or two. While he has the most upside of the three players, it does not make sense to have a young guy like him ride the bench in the majors instead of getting more at bats and growing him in the farm system till he is ready. Dewayne Wise is my personal favorite of the three. Wise is most known for his amazing center field catch in Mark Behrle’s 2009 perfect game. Wise is the most experienced of the three players and while he only has a .222 lifetime batting average, he is an outstanding fielder.

CLOSER

The Marlins brought in a lot of new players to try and strengthen their bullpen that was the Achilles heal of this team a season ago. The two players who were most reliable guys in the bullpen were the setup man and closer Clay Hensley and Leo Nunez. The two of them combined for a total of 37 saves. Currently the Marlins still have Leo Nunez listed as their closer, but last year Nunez did blow 8 saves and had a knack for getting into trouble giving up almost a hit an inning (62 hits in 65 innings pitched). Meanwhile mainly as a setup man Hensley had fewer hits, walks, home runs allowed, and a lower ERA (2.16) despite pitching more innings (75). Hensley also had 7 saves and blew 3 saves. Leo was planned to be the closer going into 2010 and Hensley was someone who took most people by surprise. For 2011 the Marlins will no doubt start off the year with Leo Nunez as the closer and Clay Hensley being the setup man, but if Nunez struggles at all the Marlins maybe quick to reverse their roles.

FINAL BULLPEN SPOT

The Florida Marlins have much of their bullpen spots ready to go going into the season. Clay Hensley, Leo Nunez, Mike Dunn, Ryan Webb, Edward Muijca, and Randy Choate are all going to be there, but that leave one final spot open. It will come down to either Burke Badenhop or Brian Sanches. Both are right handed and in a poor bullpen both pitched well. Of the two, Sanches had the better year last year with 12 holds and a 2.26 ERA and has the lower career ERA (3.45 compared to Badenhop's career 4.43 career ERA). Going my the numbers on the field it seems pretty obvious that Sanches is the choice, but the numbers off the field may be the one to decide this one at the start of the year. Thanks to arbitration Badenhop is going to be paid more than Saches who is still a year away from arbitration. If this were the Yankees or Red Sox the money would not matter and whoever is the better player wil play, but for the Marlins who have a payroll of less than 1/3 of those teams money may decide who gets this final spot unless their is a huge discrepancy in play this spring.

Their will be other spots on the bench that their will be competition for, but for the most part we know who is going to win these positions. John Baker and Brett Hayes are going to be player for the backup catcher spot, and while both are coming back from injuries it is pretty clear that Baker is going to win the positon. John Baker was the opening day starter last year and has played well in his time in the majors. Baker has the most chemistry with the Marlins pitching staff and it is highly doubful the guy is going to go from starter to minor league player on the same time in a one year span. Also you will see players like Donnie Murphy, Greg Dobbs, Emilio Bonifacio, and Ozzie Matinez all fighting for the last 2 Marlins bench spots. Murphy, although coming back from injury, played very well when he was with the Marlins last year and if he is healthy he should beat out veterans Greg Dobbs. Ozzie Martinez played very well in his time filling in for Hanley last year, but he will probably start off the year in the minor leagues. Fact is while Ozzie is better than Emilio at the plate, Ozzie is a middle infielder while Emilio can play 2nd, SS, 3rd, and OF. The kind of utility and his speed on the base path is what will let Emilio Binifacio keep his bench job for now.

The Florida Marlins going into the 2011 season have the most turnover in their opening day lineup since Hanley Ramirez’s rookie season. Only 1st base (Gaby Sanchez), shortstop (Hanley Ramirez), and possibly catcher will have the same player staring in 2011 that started in 2010. While much of the changes have come from promotion within the Marlins organization, the Fish have also had a done quite a bit in the way of free agency and trades, with the main focus being on improving the bullpen.

At the trade and waiver deadlines last year the Marlins traded away two fan favorites in Cody Ross and Jorge Cantu (both of whom played in the World Series on opposing teams). Then this offseason the Marlins got rid of another fan favorite by trading away Dan Uggla to their division rivals, the Atlanta Braves. In exchange for Dan Uggla the Marlins received left-handed relief pitcher Michael Dunn and infielder Omar Infante. Dunn will be entering his second major league season and will be coming off a pretty good 2010 where he pitched 19 innings had an ERA of 1.89, and struck out 27 batters. However he did also give up almost a walk and hit per inning (15 hits, 17 walks in 19 innings).

Omar Infante will most likely play either 2nd base or 3rd for the Marlins in 2011. Infante while an upgrade on the defensive side of the ball, but he is a real drop off at the plate. While Uggla was a power hitter, hitting 30 home runs 100 RBIs several times, Infante is a singles hitter who has only hit 45 total home runs in his career (16 of them came in 2004). Infante could bat either first or second in the lineup if he can keep up his average that he has hit in the past three seasons, batting .293, .305, .321 respectively.

The Marlins also gave up on both the players they received from Detroit in the Miguel Cabrera trade. The Marlins sent Andrew Miller to Boston and Cameron Maybin to San Diego getting back several relief pitchers. From Boston the Marlins received Dustin Richardson who in 13 innings last year had a 4.15 ERA, 12 strikeouts, 15 walks, and had an opponents batting average of .290 against him. The Marlins were able to get more for Maybin by receiving RHP Ryan Webb and RHP Edward Mujica. Mujica while having a career 4.47 ERA, but he is coming off a very good 2010 ’where he had a 3.62 ERA and in 69.2 innings pitched he had 72 strikeouts and only gave up 6 walks. Webb also seems like a good addition with a .290 ERA, 44 strikeouts, and only gave up 1 home run.

The Marlins bullpen was bad outside of Clay Hensley and Leo Nunez, blowing a MLB leading 25 leads, but hopefully the addition of Mujica, Webb, and Dunn can solidify things. These additions should if nothing else put the Marlins bullpen in the middle of the NL this year. With the pitching staff the Marlins have put together, if the bullpen can hold on to leads than the Marlins should be in the hunt for a wild card spot. Unfortunately for the Marlins, relief pitching tends to be almost a craps shoot on any given year. A few years ago the Baltimore Orioles spent a bunch of money to sign most of the top relief pitchers in free agency and it did not translate into a solid bullpen the following season.

The Marlins made two important signings in the offseason by signing John Buck for 3-years $18 million and Javier Vazquez for one year $7 million. John Buck is a respectable catcher who for his career is a .243 batter, averaging 13 home runs and 43 RBIs, but he is coming off a season which he hit .281 with 20 home runs and 66 RBIs. More than likely Buck’s numbers will fall back down to be more in line with his career numbers as it seemed something odd happened last year in Toronto as Buck and just about all of his Blue Jays teammates had career years from the plate.

Lastly and maybe most importantly the Marlins was the acquisition of Javier Vazquez to be the Marlins third man in the rotation behind Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco (who just received a contract extension) and ahead of Anibal Sanchez. The Marlins hope that a return to the NL will result in Vazquez putting up numbers that are similar to his 2009 campaign with the Braves (15-10 with a 2.87 ERA, 238 strikeouts in 219.1 innings), and not duplicate his 10-10 5.32 ERA season he had with the Yankees last year. If he can put up good numbers, Vazquez will give Florida the 2nd best starting staff in the NL East, behind Philadelphia of course, and one of the best in the NL overall.

Other Marlins Additions:

Catcher Clint Sammons

3rd Base Greg Dobbs

2nd Base Joe Thurston

2nd Base Tim Torres

Right Fielder Josh Kroeger

LHP Victor Garate

LHP Darin Downs

RHP Frank Mata

RHP Shawn Hill

]]>bcastaldo2000@gmail.com (BC Castaldo)FebruaryWed, 23 Feb 2011 05:00:00 +0000Marlins Kickoff 2011 with Fan Festhttp://marlinsbigcatch.com/2011-articles/february/marlins-fanfest.html
http://marlinsbigcatch.com/2011-articles/february/marlins-fanfest.htmlAfter making their final trips in the Marlins Caravan for the Troops, taking batting practice at the new Marlins Stadium, and pitchers and catchers reporter yesterday, their was still on more event left on the Marlins schedule before the position players report on Tuesday; the 2011 Marlins Fan Fest. Today thousands of Marlins fans traveled to Sun Life Stadium to get autographs, buy season tickets, take batting practice and participate in all he fun events that the Marlins Organization had put together for fans.

Having gone to the event I can truley say that it was a really well put together event. Fan Fest was free to attend, and even the $5 parking fee was cancelled out by the fact that the Marlins gave you $5 cash back if you bought a ticket package or single game ticket. Every Marlins player was available for one hour to sign autographs, including their stars Hanley Ramirez, Josh Johnson, and Mike Stanton. Their were also booths for people to get their photos taken with several Marlins players and in the dugout. Other events that were set up were batting cages, a play area for kids, many tables filled with trading cards and sports memorabilia for sale, and their were also several performances by the Mermaids and Manatees.

One of the best events was held at the Club Level where the Marlins held 3 different Town Hall meetings where fans could ask both players and management questions. While their were many comments and questions that were the usual softballs, their were others who did express their frustrations with the Marlins trading away Dan Uggla. One fan asked team president David Samson if it was smart for the Marlins to, what appeared to him at least, place the franchise in Hanley Ramirez's hands by getting rid of the guys who were willing to stand up to him, Dan Uggla and Fredi Gonzalez. John Buck quickly came to Samson's defense saying that he knows that is how it looks like from the outside, but after spending time with the team, that is no the case.

If nothing else, the one thing that you can take away from today was optimism. Fans, players, and Marlins management are optimistic about the future of this team. Everyone is optimistic about the Marlins new stadium for next year. Photos and talk of the new stadium were everywhere, Marlins were accepting down payment for tickets to the stadium for next year, and according to David Samson the tickets to the new stadium are selling and selling well. Also there was optimism for this season. The Marlins have a young team, but with a revapt bullpen, and strong starting pitching this is a team that will be at least be in the hunt for the wild card. Now the Marlins need to take the excitement and optimism that was stirring in Sun Life Stadium today and capitalize on it with the results on the field this year.

For more pictuures from Fan Fest check out the Marlins Big Catch page on Facebook.

]]>bcastaldo2000@gmail.com (BC Castaldo)FebruarySat, 19 Feb 2011 20:12:27 +0000Marlins Install 1st Seathttp://marlinsbigcatch.com/2011-articles/february/marlins-install-1st-seat.html
http://marlinsbigcatch.com/2011-articles/february/marlins-install-1st-seat.htmlWhile pitchers and catchers don't report until Friday and the Marlins did not sign any one today, it was still a huge day for the Marlins Organization. Today at the new Marlins Stadium Jeffery Loria and David Samson installed the first seat at the stadium. While the plan is to have all of the seat be blue, this "first" seat was painted red to make it stand out. Fans should also know that the stadium is about 60% completed and construction is running both on time and on budget as well.

After the installation was complete Hanley Ramerez, Chris Coghlan, Logan Morrison, Mike Stanton, Gaby Sanchez, and John Buck treated the construction workers to a show by all taking batting practice from inside the new stadium. While some of the construction crew members were getting autographs from the players others were shagging fly balls from what will be the outfield. Hanley was the first up and hit a hard ground ball with his first swing, and a few pitches later he hit the stadiums first (unofficial) home run. And when it was Mike Stanton's turn behind the plate he hit a ball that literally bounced out of the stadium.

]]>bcastaldo2000@gmail.com (BC Castaldo)FebruaryTue, 15 Feb 2011 23:11:35 +0000Florida Marlins Top Prospectshttp://marlinsbigcatch.com/2011-articles/february/bc-castaldo.html
http://marlinsbigcatch.com/2011-articles/february/bc-castaldo.htmlUnlike years in the past the Marlins do not have a lot of depth or can’t miss prospects in their minor leagues, but that has more to do with the promotions of players like Chris Coghlan, Mike Stanton, Logan Morrison, and Gaby Sanchez to the major leagues.

1. Matt Dominguez, 3B—The Marlins did not make a move at to sure up third because they hope that they will be able to bring up Dominguez this year. However, this thing that is holding him back is his bat. He hit only .250 last year and he does not have the kind of power that one would hope to have in a corner outfielder. This is the reason that many scouting people believe that he will only be an average third base man at best. He is the best defensive infielder in the Marlins organization, but he is going to need to do a better job from the plate if he wants to be the 3rd baseman for the Marlins for years to come.

2. Chad James, SP--- He is another tall pitcher and the best starting pitching prospect in the minors. But he does have his issues. He throws three pitched, a low 90s fastball, changeup, and curveball, but he is coming off a poor outing in 2010. He has a good arm, but lacks polish. Some believe that he could be a front end of a rotation starter, but more than likely he will be a number 3 starter.

3. Christian Yellch, OF/1B--- People in the Marlins organization see something they like in him and drafted him higher than most expected him to go. He has a good swing and is projected to hit between .280-.300 when he is ready. However, he needs to build up his strength and start to hit with more power. Most likely he will end in the outfield, which he can play just fine. He does not have a great arm, but he has decent speed and a quick glove.

4. Brad Hand, SP--- He took a step forward last year and really improved his command and has a good fastball/curve combo. The one knock against him was that he leaves to many pitches in the zone. He has a career 3.83 ERA in the minors but in his last two years his ERA has not been over 3.33. He has good stuff with a good SO/BB ratio. If he continues to make strides, the lefty could see some action with the Marlins in 2011.

5. Rob Rasmussen, SP/RP--- He is another player for the Marlins who projects out to be a 3rd or 4th starter. I think he’s getting a somewhat under appreciated on these prospect lists. He’s undersized, but has a good track record of success and four quality pitches, but none of which are dominant.

6. Jhan Marinez, RP--- He is going to end up in a big league bullpen sooner rather than latter, and he did see some action in the majors last year. He has a good slider, and if he can improve his fastball he maybe turned into a closer. Control and command are the only things holding him back.

7. Kyle Skipworth, C--- Once compared to Joe Mauer, Skipworth is improving, but he needs to do a better job of making contact at the plate and is still years off from being ready for the majors. He strikes out way to much (132 tins in 397AB), has a batting average below 2.50, and is struggling with pitch recognition, but he has shown some power. On the plus side, his defense showed a lot of improvement.

8. Osvaldo Martinez, 2B/SS--- scrappy middle infielder who has a quick enough bat to hit a bunch of doubles and is a perfect number 2 hitter. Doesn’t have a lot of upside, but he’s a good defensive shortstop with solid plate discipline. In 43 at bats in the big leagues he has hit .326, but most believe that over the course of a full season he would hit more closely to .270. He is pretty much blocked from playing SS for a while as long as Hanley is here, and most people believe that Chris Coghlan will eventually move back to his natural position of 2nd base. If Dominguez doesn’t work out this year, then Martinez could make the team if the Marlins switch Omar Infante to 3rd.

9. Marcell Ozuna, OF--- Apower hitting, string armed outfielder that has a lot of upside, right now he is just pretty raw. In 68 games last year he hit 21 home runs and struck out 104 times with only 19 walks. He will just need time to develop his skill and learn to not be an all or nothing player from the plate.

10. Scott Cousins, OF—He can be inconsistent, which has hurt him in terms of moving up the ranks (he is going to be 26 on opening day), but he could be the 4th outfielder for the Marlins this season. He is pretty good defensively with a strong arm. He can also hit for speed and power, but again it is all about consistency. All and all he does plenty of things well, but nothing great.

Bonus. Tom Koehler, SP--- He really only has average stuff, but he know how to get batters out as evidenced by the very high strike out rate he had last year in Double A. All he ever does is throw strikes and win games.

]]>bcastaldo2000@gmail.com (BC Castaldo)FebruaryTue, 15 Feb 2011 20:26:44 +0000Could Dan Uggla be the Marlins version of Wes Welker?http://marlinsbigcatch.com/2011-articles/february/bc-castaldo.html
http://marlinsbigcatch.com/2011-articles/february/bc-castaldo.htmlMost Miami fans are still haunted by the move the Miami Dolphins made in 2007, when they traded Wes Welker within the division to the New England Patriots. Since then he has gone on from being a local fan favorite, to being a star in the NFL who twice a year terrorizes the Dolphins secondary and makes fans wonder what could have been.

The Dolphins did not really have a choice that offseason. Wes Welker was a restricted free agent and the Patriots were able to make an offer that the Dolphins were unable to match, so instead of just getting a second round pick, the Dolphins traded Welker to the Patriots for a second and seventh round pick.

Now, Dan Uggla is not quite as big of a secret as Wes Welker was when he left South Florida. Uggla is a 2-time All-Star and has been one of the best homerun hitters in the NL. However, Uggla is best known for his 2008 All-Star performance when he went 0-4 and set the record for errors in the All-Star Game.

Just like Welker, Uggla is another over achiever in the game who has beaten the odds. Wes Welker was an undrafted rookie out of Texas Tech who was cut by the San Diego Chargers in camp before being signed by the Miami Dolphins. Dan Uggla was an average playing in the Arizona Dimondback organization that never made it past AA, and was a rule 5 draft pick in 2005. The next year at age 26 he made is first start in the big leagues and over the next 5 seasons he would hit 154 home runs and become the Florida Marlins all-time leader in home runs.

The Marlins are notorious for not keeping their star players, and often preferring to just trade away players and promote from with in. Recently that has changed a bit with the Marlins choosing to sign pitchers Ricky Nolasco and Josh Johnson, and also shortstop Handley Ramirez all to long term deals. Financially not signing Dan to a long term deal may make some sense if you look at it as the Marlins were not only able to bring in Mike Dunn and Omar Infante, but it also freed up the cash so that the Marlins could sign John Buck and Javier Vazquez. Also Uggla is going to be 31 at the start of the 2011, and projects to be a DH rather than an everyday infielder. Also the Marlins have a good player in Chris Coghlan who at some point will become the Marlins 2nd baseman.

But trading him with in the division is the decision (and not getting much in return) that really makes me personally weary of this deal. Uggla while a liability in the field, he is a perfect fit for the Braves batting order. Uggla give the Braves a power hitter form the left side of the plate, which is much needed as Chipper Jones continues to decline, and he also will provide as protection of the Braves rising star Jason Haywood.

As much as Dag Uggla use to terrorize the Braves pitching staffs the past 5 years, it maybe the Marlins Front Office who will nightmares of Dan Uggla for years to come.